I wrote an email the other day talking about considering myself a coach – not a fitness marketer or an internet marketer.
The email generated a ton of feedback – most positive, with a couple negative comments from people that consider themselves internet marketers. Fine by me.
It’s not up to me to decide ‘what you are.’
It’s up to you.
Personally, for my entire adult life I’ve considered myself a Coach and felt my mission was to help people reach their potential.
So what I want to know is this:
What do you consider yourself?
What’s your job or your mission?
Do me a favor and let me know below.
Dedicated to your success,
Pat Rigsby
Pat Rigsby is a Co-Owner of the International Youth Conditioning Association & the youth fitness franchise Athletic Revolution as well as a fitness industry consultant serving thousands of personal trainers and fitness entrepreneurs. Sign up for his fitness business free newsletter to discover proven marketing, sales and business strategies, along with blog updates, news, and more! While you’re at it, follow him on Twitter.
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I definitely consider myself a health & fitness “coach” first and foremost. The fact is, though, that to make a living at it I have had to dawn the hats of marketing and sales.
I will say this…when I first began working in the industry back in 1994, I was ALL coach. I did this for about 3 years before I realized that it wasn’t “Field of Dreams” where I could just build it and they would come. That is when I started to learn more about the business side of it. Unfortunately, that took me over and I became that person that was more about the sales side than the coaching side.
I was not having job satisfaction then. I got into this to help people more than the money (obviously making the most I can financially is always important). I lost sight of that for awhile. I now can say that for the last 2 years I have found balance in both worlds and I wake up everyday anxious to get to work!
Pat,
Good question and one I’ve pondered often with various answers.
I guess the one that satifies me most is that of “servant leader.”
My “job” allows me to serve others in what I love and am passionate about from that of a leaders position. The more people I serve and help, the more I am allowed to serve and help.
Ronald Reagan had a plaque on his desk that read, “You can accomplish much if you don’t care who gets the credit.”
I try to live by this motto daily. As long as the folks I serve get the results they crave, I don’t care who gets the credit.
SP
I found my life’s passion – assisiting individuals on their journey to health and wellness. Everyday I have the opportunity to motivate, educate and encourage individuals who are looking for an improved quality of life. Whether people refer to me as a trainer, coach, leader, motivator or friend, I am making an impact.
Pat,
I’m a coach, a motivator, a leader, and guide. This is a space and place with in myself that I recognize but the true answer comes from my clients/trainees: all of the above attributes/descriptions come from THEM.
Now, through the BCBP, I’ve been provided wonderful information and resources to better market my coaching and motivating skills so that I can be better at coaching my clients to improving their lives.
Off to Boot Camp – OOOOOO WHAAAAAA!
T Hayes
Blazinfitness
It’s a funny aspect of our business that you bring up. Many of us live with labels that most often don’t define us. For years people not involved with my business referred to me as a “Personal Trainer” and it used to piss me off because I knew I was so much more then some one who put together programs and counted reps.
I would have to say when all is said and done I would consider myself a fitness and technology entrepreneur specializing in Branding and New Media.
Good question. Rocco asks this is his summit. I have notes written down. Also important is how are you NOT.
Feedback from my clients say that I am coach, friend, great trainer, expert instructor, and someone who truly cares about the clients more than the business.
I own a health and fitness business.
I have spent the last year trying to shift my mindset to that of a business owner instead of a health and fitness practitioner. It’s challenging to step out of the Technician role and identify one’s self as an Entrepreneur.
At present, half my 55-hour work week is spent working hands-on with clients as a corrective exercise/rehabilitative specialist, and the other half is being a Boss and growing the business. Nice mix, for now.
Great question Pat.
This question goes pretty deep with me actually covers a broad spectrum.
When I first started in the industry I was happy being able to say that I was Personal Trainer.
As I grew through the years I felt that it wasn’t enough to be just another Personal Trainer because most personal trainers that I saw didn’t give a damn about their clients and growing a business. It was all about just finishing the session.
Through continued education and willingness to provide that education to others, on many levels, I am aFitness Professional.
I consider myself a fitness professional and entrepreneur.
It’s funny how much people read into labels, and how some of them really do mean something, and others mean very little.
I think a great way to identify yourself through title is to make sure that you live up to the label that you want to be. Pat considers himself a coach, and he works very hard to be the best coach he can be.
We can all take note. Label yourself what you want to be, and then live up to the title.
Hi Pat,
I would consider myself first and foremost a coach and agree with something Alwyn Cosgrove says “be exceptional at what you do, being a great marketer will get you clients but if you are not good at getting results, then these people will leave” or words to that effect.
99% of my clients have come by way of referral because my clients love what I do.
So being a good marketer will get you clients no doubt but you better be getting then results if you want a business long term
Just my thoughts
Marc
I’d also like to add that I try to be a great role model to my clients by walking the walk
This is an interesting and reflective question. Most times in this field you are many things to many people. If I were to put a label on me, it would be Lifestyle Performance Coach|Entrepreneur|Re Definer.
I usually think of myself as a teacher, which is one aspect of coaching. Which aspect I emphasize depends on the needs of the person I’m working with, the coaching aspect comes out more in certain situations. I have a marketing hat, too, but the way I look at it, you have to have something to market, marketing isn’t an end in itself; and what I market is information (which is the teaching aspect) and motivation (which is the coaching aspect). So marketing is a secondary tool to achieve a more primary function.
I think my clients may view my “title” differently than I do. Ever since I coached high school soccer I have been a “coach”, all my ex-players still call me that. Now I just coach a different type of “athlete”.
Most of my bootcamp clients refer to me as their trainer. Either way, coaching and training is (part of) what I do, not who I am.
I think both Steve and Mark are right on…
Pat,
I am a Coach and Entrepreneur at heart and I truly enjoy seeing my athletes and bootcampers achieve success.
Pat,
I am just an individual blessed with the gift of motivating people to acheive their desired fitness goals. Some call me a trainer, motivator, drill sargeant, hard ass, devil, sounding board; in the end I am merely what my clients perceive me to be in order for them to reach their goals. I am a professional fitness entrepreneur.
I am a leader by example!!
Find it mighty hard to accumulate all this info to help people and dont use it to help yourself. So if your asking your clients to do something or work hard or to eat a particular thing, then u better be setting a good example of this yourself. It makes it a lot easier to believe in your teachings when u are applying it to yourself first and u know that it works!
Great question Pat, I think the answer to this will evolve with maturity (hopefully).
Being labelled is something I’m not keen on, however in the world people need to “know”, I call myself a fitness professional or a Coach.
I then explain I don’t just prescribe sets/reps we look at the big picture and figure out what needs to change i.e. mindset/attitude, optimal training, nutrition etc….. and GET TO WORK!
I consider myself a Exercise and Conditioning Specialist / Master Trainer. It seems like everybody and their mother can get a PT Cert these days, so I have to separate myself from the wanna-be’s.
Pat,
I commend you for calling yourself a coach, not a marketer or an internet marketer. But from my perspective, you cannot deny the fact that you are not purely a coach, you are also a marketer and an internet marketer. Is this wrong or should this be something that you’re ashamed of……definitely not!! Why?? simply because to be an effective coach including a successful businessperson in the modern era, you need to have more than one string to your bow, otherwise it would limit your chances of success and ultimately your chance to help the greatest number of people possible. So for me personally, i’m quite comfortable with whatever labels someone puts on me as long as it represents the type/s of work that I do and feels a comfortable fit for me.
Hey pat,
I consider myself a fitness entrepreneur.However my passion is purely coaching clients and learning everyday.Knowledge is power.
Steve
Hi Pat,
I used think of myself as a Personal Trainer, but that only got me so far and into grief. I think the stigma that goes with the PT label is psychologically limiting. Now I recognize myself as an entrepreneur specializing in health & fitness.
ENTREPRENEUR! First and foremost. I’ve known it since I was an early teenager. It is the challenge that drives me and ultimately, the freedom that I seek.
I used to play high level ice hockey and, of course, had dreams of playing pro.
My Dad would say: “Why play when you can own the team”?
Never forgot that.
Chris Lutz-Master Trainer
Coach Pat,
You asked some important/key questions.
For me, I consider myself as a teacher, friend, coach, dedicated to my young ladies, education and overall good person. I love to help those in need no matter what the problem maybe.
I believe my job is to help young ladies to play sports, get involved in their community, get a good education, learn how to be a lady and not have children at a early age. I want to teach them how to live in this world of up and downs and how to overcome those issues.
I wish I could open a organization to expand me goals/missions to help more ladies and young men as well.
Thanks, Coach Pat.
Hey Joe – don’t get me wrong, I love marketing and am a dedicated student of it – but I see it as a vehicle to accomplish our business or professional goals.
I feel that in any profession you wear many hats. As a baseball coach I felt like as well as being a coach I was a teacher, marketer, fundraiser, travel agent, therapists, groundskeeper and about a dozen other things – but I never personally identified with those roles like I did the coaching one.
As a fitness professional many of those titles probably apply too. Well, maybe not groundskeeper or travel agent;)
But for me, I’m far more passionate about coaching sessions, coaching calls, live events and mastermind meetings than I am about writing sales copy or creating ads.
So I guess what I’m getting at is while it’s important to be balanced and proficient in a variety of areas, I personally identify with what I’m most passionate about. I certainly don’t discount the importance of the other components of my ‘job’ but they are often pieces of the puzzle that allow me to do the stuff I love doing.
Hey Pat,
I’ve been a Personal Fitness Trainer for over 27 years…yikes. Funny just before opening your Email, I was just writing to a new trainer who will be joining my studio (team) and I was welcoming her as a new Personal Fitness Coach. Anyone who’s played a team sport knows the meaning and value of having a great coach to teach and motivate you. What better term for us to choose to use to describe our function, than Fitness Coach?
Cheers!
Peter
Well, at the moment i am a coach helping individuals change their behavior lifestyle using exercise as a tool and at the same time improving their fitness level. My mission to expand my business using educatoin as my first tool. I am learning from a variety of people but being in a non-american market is more difficult but not impossible.
I am a Coach that provide the service of helping people to have better health and a better life style as a citizen of this great county called America. It is my goal with each student that they learn the principal of B.I.G. . Which stands for Build, Improve, Grow . Each step toward the goal to become Better. A little at a time by design.
Coach Charles
I am just a simple person who does everything possible and work hard to succed.
Day by day trying to become better to not lose the faith in life.
Meeting others mind like me, give’s me hope and encouragement.
Regards